SteadicamSmoothee
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Steadicam Smoothee: Enter to win
Yesterday we ran a post about the Steadicam Smoothee for iPhone 4/4S. Now you have a chance to win a Steadicam Smoothee from TUAW and add that professional look to your iPhone videos. To enter, just fill out the form below completely and submit your entry. The winner will be picked from a random drawing and will receive the Steadicam Smoothee. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before July 2, 2012 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected and will receive a Steadicam Smoothee valued at US$179.95 Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
DollyCam app lets you stabilize iPhone 4 videos, we go hands-on (video)
Apple's iPhone 4 can serve as a great little camcorder when you're in a bind, but it's never been our go-to cam for video shoots. Not only is its small sensor not best suited for high-quality HD shooting, but the smartphone form factor can be awkward to hold, resulting in shakier than normal footage. A new app called DollyCam, which also supports iPad 2, helps soften the blow of the latter, letting you successfully stabilize videos -- with a few drawbacks. We took our iPhone 4 out to test a watermarked free version of the app in New York City, shooting a scene first with the phone's native app, and then with DollyCam. It won't replace a hardware solution like the Steadicam Smoothee, but it's significantly cheaper and more convenient. The only major issues we noticed were related to softened sound capture of all things (pay close attention in the video past the break), and the fact that the app can't process in real-time, so a minute-long video clip will need about five minutes to process. The app does crop your footage slightly, as can be expected. You'll also need to remain in the app as it's processing, though you can also stabilize videos later, after completing your shoot. Overall, it's an acceptable solution, especially considering the $2.99 price tag. Jump past the break to see original and stabilized clips, and browse through the gallery below for a quick look at the interface.%Gallery-130039% [Thanks, Jon]
Found Footage: Steadicam releasing Smoothee for iPhone 3GS
In the world of professional film and video photography, the Steadicam stabilizing camera mount revolutionized tracking shots by allowing a camera operator to "hand hold" a camera, but keep the camera steady. This Academy Award-winning invention is now available for the rest of us in the form of the Tiffen Steadicam Smoothee for iPhone 3GS. Designed specifically for the iPhone 3GS, the Steadicam Smoothee weighs a scant 25 ounces and features the same counterweighted construction of the professional models. While no price has been announced for the Smoothee, it's sure to be much less expensive than the pro video and film versions that sell for $50,000 - $60,000. The promotional video above has several examples of the type of smooth tracking shots that are the signature of Steadicam movies. The fact that Tiffen has chosen the iPhone for a Steadicam model appears to show that the company sees the potential of citizen journalism and movie-making with the platform. One of these would be great for doing TUAW TV Live from Ustream Broadcaster on the floor of Macworld Expo 2010... [via Engadget]
Tiffen Smoothee brings Steadicam to the iPhone 3GS
We had no idea the market of iPhone filmmakers out there was big enough to support pro-quality accessories, but it looks like we were mistaken: Tiffen just announced the Smoothee Steadicam rig for all you mobile Tarantinos out there. As with all Steadicam rigs, the Smoothee stabilizes a handheld camera by means of a counterweight, and the phone cradle can also be detached and mounted on a tripod or used as a stand on a flat surface. No pricing or availability yet, but those things don't matter when your masterpiece is at stake. Video after the break.
